One of the of notable aspects of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) was the opportunity to meet, and at times even interview, well-known thinkers and doers in the entrepreneurship space. This was especially true when Innov8social had a chance to meet Daymond John, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of FUBU, and one of the investors in hit tv show “Shark Tank”. In the context of GES, Daymond also holds another title; that of a founding White House PAGE Ambassador.

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Meet Daymond John

Daymond John is the CEO and Founder of FUBU, a global lifestyle brand and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6billion in product sales. For his entrepreneurial work, he has received over 35 awards including the Brandweek Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, and Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

John’s profile and leadership within the entrepreneurship ecosystem led to his appointment as a Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) initiative member. In his signature PAGE initiative, John will work with underserved entrepreneurs and emerging digital influencers to help them develop customer bases and brands. He will help this audience develop new business models that can turn homegrown operations into successful businesses.

In March, John teamed up with Capital One and General Assembly to launch an Opportunity Fellows Fund, which will aim to make education for careers in the digital economy more accessible to people across country from diverse, and often underserved, backgrounds.

Launched in April 2014, White House was created to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs both at home and abroad. The initiative formed as a partnership among celebrated entrepreneurs, the White House, the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of State.

President Obama released an Executive Order institutionalizing the PAGE program at GES 2016.

Show Notes

Julie Hanna (of Kiva) first committed to fund and deliver $100 million in crowdfunded loans to 200,000 global women and young entrepreneurs. One year later, $107 million in loans have reached almost 300,000 entrepreneurs across 77 countries